September 27, 2011

3 Things I Love About America

Blog author holding a kangaroo at a rodeo on a Route 66 stop in Oklahoma.

I am an American by birth. I believe it’s after my experiences living abroad, I can understand my American culture and appreciate some aspects of it when I am not there.

Here are three things I really love about America:

MulticulturalismThough every country has it’s own version of multiculturalism, America is known for attracting people from cultures around the globe. In America, a person can meet someone from a remote country or a popular country and learn about their culture and traditions. Also, when there are enough people from that country settled in various parts of the USA, we find restaurants, cultural organizations and ethnic stores that anyone can visit to learn more about diverse, global lifestyles.

Travel is EasyTraveling from the east coast to the west coast by car is relatively easy in the USA. It’s a big country, but the road network is well connected and such a long trip of 3,000 miles can be done within a few days if no stops are made. Many highways are equipped with free, public restrooms and rest areas along the way to grab a bite to eat, do your laundry or buy some staples. It is also relatively safe to travel alone as a man or woman. With the advent of cell phones, emergency calls can be made almost anywhere. On most highways there are also emergency phones located so many miles apart from each other in the event of an accident or problem.

Emergencies are Easy to Report911 is a well-known three digit phone number that can be utilized for emergencies in most parts of America. 911 can be used to report fires, medical emergencies, crimes and other emergencies. There is no need to have a long list of hard to remember numbers when 911 can be easily dialed at any time. Once 911 or the emergency number is called, in most areas and cases a police person, ambulance or fire truck can report to the scene within a reasonable amount of time.

Though there are many more things I like about my own country, these three things I appreciate can be appreciated by most everyone that visits America. Enjoy your stay, and stay safe.

Jennifer Kumar co-creator of two cross-cultural training programs: Living and Working in USA – an online multi-media cross-cultural course for those planning to live, work and study in America.

Authentic Journeys: Bridging Culture on Virtual Teams

We help build effective, culturally competent global teams with focus on the cultures of the USA and India. Jennifer Kumar, Managing Director, an American citizen, has almost 10 years experience living, studying and working (owning a business) in India. Authentic Journeys Consultancy is registered as a Private Limited in India (Kerala) and an LLC in the USA (Salt Lake City, Utah). We provide onsite and live-online instructor-led courses, facilitation and corporate coaching.